Teaching students how to mend our Island Earth
The following story is about how Hawaiʻi’s local educators are practicing mālama honua both in and outside of the classroom. It comes from the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education and features educator Shauna Hirota from Kailua Intermediate.
Hirota credits her Malama Honua professional development experiences with helping her create engaging interdisciplinary courses for her students. Photo Credit: Shauna Hirota
Mālama Honua (to care for the Earth) is a personal mission for Kailua Intermediate social studies teacher Shauna Hirota. It is rooted in lessons from her grandmother whose conservative ways made an impact. Hirota remembers her grandmother berate the modern “throw-away” generation who she believed should “mend the torn dress instead of buying another so quickly.”
In 2013, the Polynesian voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia began sailing across Earth’s oceans to motivate a global movement toward a more sustainable world. Since then, Hirota has been involved in professional development programs focused on the voyage and its mission. She believes the Mālama Honua initiatives are a re-investment of past values that speak to the need to preserve the “Island Canoe” called Earth, and has brought those lessons into the classroom.
Hirota thoughtfully crafted an online, hands-on experience that meet the grade level standards by integrating social studies, English and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), as well as inspiring a basic need for all students to gain a passion for learning.
In spring 2015, she participated in courses sponsored by Pacific Asian Affairs Council (PAAC) and the Library of Congress, which allowed her to join the voyage in New Zealand. While there, Hirota and other educators examined the Maori school system and embedding culture into the learning experience. The Library of Congress workshop, E Noi’i Kākou, introduced the use of primary sources to create STEM lesson plans related to Mālama Honua. The purpose was to incorporate primary documents from the Library of Congress and other databases to build STEM lessons that integrated socio-historical ocean exploration and storytelling.
Hirota says these professional development opportunities sharpened her ability to create interdisciplinary courses for her students at Kailua Intermediate where they are tracking the voyage progress and are also connecting with crewmembers through technology.
“Mālama Honua lessons emphasize a sense of community and respect for others,” said Hirota. “Traditional knowledge, when shared, provides a sense of belonging, understanding of culture, and reverence for the past. I tell my students that they all have a gift to offer the world, and I try to give them the freedom to explore and learn.”
Students at Kailua Intermediate participated in a Google Hangout with Hōkūleʻa crew and world-renowned archaeologist Dr. Nilssen. Photo Credit: Department of Education
A well-attended Wa’a Talks session in May 2015 at Kailua Intermediate provided another learning opportunity for teachers and community members. Hirota organized the event to incorporate Kailua community values (place-based learning), energy conservation, and digital communication technology in relation to Mālama Honua and the Worldwide Voyage.
Hirota also shared the Navigators Project, an initiative that focused her students on their “community” through exploring the physical environment and listening to the stories of family members. This enabled some students to connect to their history, including a project that involved farming in Waimanalo. Hirota said the student presented his findings with a strong sense of pride – life as a farmer.
When Hōkūleʻa landed in South Africa, Hirota’s students participated in a Google Hangout with crewmembers and scientists, who shared their excitement in meeting their hosts.
“It brought to light everything I’ve been covering in my class about Mālama Honua and the voyage. What was really impactful for my students was being able to talk to Dr. Nilssen, a world-renowned archaeologist, who didn’t look like a scientist at all. He was approachable and students pointed out that he was dressed casually instead of in a white lab coat or suit, which is what the students typically see in television shows and movies,” stated Hirota.
“Malama Honua lessons emphasize a sense of community and respect for others,” said Hirota. Photo Credit: Shauna Hirota
As the voyage continues, Hirota is committed to ensuring more students identify with the universality of human experience and understanding the need to care for each other and for the Earth.
“When students get to discover and make a real life connection to the curriculum, they value it more,” said Hirota. “I emphasize to all of my students that Mālama Honua impacts them, it’s not just a Hawaiian thing, it’s a Hawaiʻi thing. We all call this place home and it’s important for us to take care of it no matter our background.”
To read this story in its original form, and learn more about the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, hawaiipublicschools.org.
